mr. speaker , i have never seen such a well-attended debate , which shows the importance of this issue ; and i rise today on behalf of my father who died of parkinson 's disease . 
i also rise today on behalf of the millions of americans like me who have watched their loved ones battle the ravages of some dreaded disease . 
i ask my colleagues , how many more lives must be ended or ravaged until our government gives researchers the wherewithal to simply do their jobs ? 
although there are no guarantees , many scientists have told me that embryonic stem cell research offers the best and only hope to discover a cure for many , many dreaded diseases . 
embryonic research offers scientists the opportunity to extend life and the quality of life for future generations of americans . 
as we are debating , other countries , other states , other people are moving forward with research with all speed . 
we should pass the degette/castle bill . 
life is too precious to wait . 
mr. speaker , i rise today in support of h.r. 810 , the stem cell research enhancement act of 2005 . 
as a founder and co-chair of the congressional working group on parkinson 's disease , i support this legislation that will expand the number of stem cell lines that are available for federally funded research . 
i believe this bill will reopen the doors to scientific inquiry , allowing us to be able , once again , to utilize embryonic stem cells while adhering to strict ethical guidelines . 
i am and continue to be an opponent of human cloning . 
however , i recognize that we must move forward with ethical research that could lead to new drug therapies . 
we owe this to those suffering from parkinson 's disease , heart disease , stroke , diabetes , and lou gehrig 's disease . 
and we owe this to scientists who are eager to explore new frontiers of science and medicine , but who are restrained by federal restrictions . 
mr. speaker , i have met with doctors , scientists , and researchers in my district 's leading medical institutions who warn of a `` brain drain '' as their best and brightest relocate to places where funding for embryonic stem cell research is not restricted . 
i have spoken with lawmakers in the state of new york , who have garnered $ 1 billion in embryonic stem cell research funding , but without federal funding , stem cell research will move forward without crucial oversight and guidelines . 
i have been persuaded by directors at the national institutes of health who have spoken out against the white house policy on stem cells . 
and i have been moved by the pleas of my constituents who are eager to find cures for suffering loved ones . 
mr. speaker , this is a mandate . 
in 2003 , over 900 , 000 americans died of heart disease and more than 550 , 000 succumbed to cancer . 
i am sure that many in this chamber have seen friends suffer through the misery of cancer and the indignities of chemotherapy . 
who among us has not had a parent or grandparent look at us with vacant eyes because alzheimer 's has stolen their memory away from them ? 
too many of us have watched as our children with juvenile diabetes hold back tears as they give themselves insulin injections each day . 
mr. speaker , it does not have to be this way . 
healing our children , family , and friends is a bipartisan issue . 
in fact , it is a moral imperative . 
